


Blindside

by Pal



Category: South Park
Genre: Comfort, Holding Hands, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-24
Updated: 2014-07-24
Packaged: 2018-02-10 07:22:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2016132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pal/pseuds/Pal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stan has failed the driver's test 6 times that summer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blindside

**Author's Note:**

> Short drabble I wrote for a friend!

Kyle checks the last couple of texts he received while walking down the sidewalk.

It’s a brisk August morning and the town is gearing itself for the upcoming winter months. Chilly mornings like these Kyle would usually find himself wandering around the neighborhood if he woke up early enough. This walk, however, wasn’t for early morning retrospect or anything of the sort.

According to the texts he woke up to, he was on a mission.

Nearing Stan’s house, he wasn’t surprised to see a car in the driveway- stationary with the engine humming low and the brake lights shining red through the morning dew and foggy exhaust. He quickens his pace, jogging to the backseat door of the car and climbs in.

“How’s he doing?” Kyle asks as soon as he slams the door shut and Wendy looks over her shoulder from the passenger seat up front.

“We’ve just been sitting like this…he hasn’t left the driveway yet.” She raises her eyebrows and offers Kyle a smile, noticing they skipped the pleasantries and jumped straight into business. Her eyes glimmered with that distinct compassionate sympathy as they slid to the occupant behind the driver’s seat. A look that could make you feel pitiful and hopeful all in one breath. “He’s still kind of freaking out. I think.”

“I’m right here.” Stan quips, letting go of the steering wheel sharply. There’s no venom in his voice, but he sounds tired, Kyle notes. “You can ask me how I’m doing.”

Kyle looks up and makes eye contact with Stan though the rearview mirror as he buckles in. “You’re gonna do fine, Stan.” He assures and reaches forward to pat Stan’s shoulder. He wants Stan to believe him, even though he can’t be 100 percent sure that Stan will actually do fine this time.

Stan has failed the driver’s test 6 times this summer. So far he’s always found a way to get an automatic failure. Kyle likes to think that he has a fairly good grasp of his friends’ capabilities; but even this was starting to throw him for a loop.

“I know how to drive.” Stan tells them, childishly tapping at the John Elway bobble head on the dash.

It’s Wendy’s turn to reach over and pat his shoulder. “We know, Stan.” She assures him, stifling a yawn and stealing a glance at Kyle.

“I’ve been driving since I was like, what? Thirteen? Younger? Dad let me drive us all down to the lake that one time, remember Kyle?”

“Yeah dude, I remember.” Kyle’s hand joins Wendy’s and they both squeeze his shoulder in unison. “But, like, the driving instructor doesn’t know anything about that….or…care.”

“That’s right.” Wendy removes her hand, watching as Stan abandons the bobble head to reluctantly return to the steering wheel. “All they care about, is if you can drive by the book.” She reaches over and eases his hands off the wheel while making a soft ticking noise. Stan groans and repositions his hands to 9 o’ clock and 3 o’ clock on the wheel.

“You have been studying, right?” Kyle didn’t want to pressure him, but there was only so much their reassurance could do without a fair amount of effort on his end. The beginning of school was around the corner and Stan had been trying to earn his license all summer. And while Kyle and Wendy were completely content with driving him around, this trial had transcended the mere complications of transportation. This was a mental roadblock he desperately needed to overcome.

“I have! I mean. I read over the book a bunch of times. They’re really fucking specific. About everything. How do they expect me to remember every little detail while I’m driving? Who really cares which way the wheels face when you park on a hill?”

Away from the curb on uphill and towards the curb downhill, Kyle instantly thinks. “Okay,” he sighs, “so it’s basically a book full of useless junk, but-“

“Umm,” Wendy tilts her head at him and Kyle smiles, knowingly. That obviously wasn’t his stance on the driving booklet, but if Stan thought it was useless, then in this scenario, it was. Kyle pats Wendy’s shoulder and winks.

“No no, Wendy. Stan’s right. Most drivers actually maintain only 10 percent of the driver’s booklet after taking the test- at most.” Kyle unbuckles his seatbelt and scoots forward to reach around Stan’s headrest and squeeze his tense shoulders- massaging him like a boxer preparing for a fight. “But really. Isn’t that the case for any test, dude?” Kyle shudders inwardly at the basis of this peptalk- was pretty sure he could recall any pop quiz from the 5th Grade- if he had too. “Just cram this stuff in long enough to get your license. After that it really doesn’t matter.”

Stan sighs and his perfectly positioned hands slide off the steering wheel once again, plopping dejectedly into his lap. “I know, that’s. That’s what I’ve been telling myself? I still kinda suck at regular test too, dude.” Wendy immediately takes one of Stan’s limp hands into her own, weaving her fingers with his and rubbing her thumb against him in circular motions. She gives Stan a wordless smile and, despite himself, he smiles back.

As Kyle continues to rub Stan’s shoulders, he can feel some of the tension begin to dissipate. He kind of loves how Wendy can make Stan feel this way with just a simple touch; an effortless sentiment that screamed more support than any fanfare could.

Stan looks over his shoulder and Kyle offers him as open a smile as he could manage. “Wendy and I know you can do it this time dude. And. Um, we’re usually right about most things, so.” He stops massaging Stan’s shoulders and gives his cheek a soft pat, laughing when Stan swats at him. “We’ll do a pre-test –test run around the neighborhood, ask you some stupid questions and see how you feel afterwards, alright? The DMV doesn’t close until 4 this afternoon. We got time.” 

Stan nods, puts the car into drive, and grabs the wheel again; letting go of Wendy’s hand in the process. Kyle reaches forward and replaces it; lacing his fingers with Wendy’s and hoping for both of them that today would be in their favor.

____

The wait at the DMV is surprisingly short, hopefully a sign that things were going to be okay. The lady at the front desk calls “Marsh?” and Stan rises to head to the room which holds the written portion of the test.

After two long, encouraging hugs, Kyle and Wendy wave him off as he walks into the other room to meet with his test proctor. They return to their seats, back in the stale lobby, and pull out their phones.

Wendy’s furrowing her brows, filing through her thoughts while blankly staring at the inspirational quotes rotating on the lock screen of her cell and Kyle mindlessly scrolls through old emails, tapping his foot. “He’s going to do fine this time…” Wendy says- more to herself than Kyle, and Kyle hums softly in agreement. 

“Maybe if we would’ve played his favorite song while he studied, and asked the instructor to play it during the test, he’d recall all the driving rules.”

Wendy laughs at that, “Conditioning? I don’t know how well that works with driving.” She pauses. “Or how ethical it is.” She grins at Kyle, imagining Stan miraculously parallel parking with acute perfection thanks to Vance Joy wailing out about love. 

“You’re not worried are you?” Kyle leans over and bumps her shoulder with his.

She bumps him back. “No. I just. Want this for him. Really bad.”

Kyle sighs. “You and me both.”

Wendy smiles and offers Kyle her hand- slender fingers, soft skin, and all the calming powers that came with it, and he graciously takes it; resting their hands on the arm of the chair between them.

______

Stan has failed the driver’s test 7 times this summer.

They’re in his living room, listening to Mrs. Marsh pack up leftovers and watching whatever is playing on television at the moment. Wendy blames it on the fact that Stan didn’t get enough sleep the night before, a common error students make when they stay up to cram information before a test, and motion that she and Kyle stay the night to ensure he gets a proper night’s sleep. Stan agrees, somewhat distantly, and sinks further into the couch to stare blankly at the television. He hadn’t said much to them on the car ride home; had simply walked back into DMV lobby saying “failed again.” while tossing his keys back to Kyle. 

“You don’t have to try it again until you’re for-sure ready.” Wendy says as she settles closer to Stan on the couch, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Test anxiety is really common in kids our age.”

“We’ve seen this episode before,” Kyle scoots closer as well; eases the remote out of Stan’s hand and changes the channel. “I saw your instructor before we left too. ‘Dude kinda looked like a dick. What was his deal?”

“Nah, he was cool.” Stan says, his voice smaller than normal. “I think I just, prolly, suck. Is all.”

Wendy shakes her head at this and lifts up slightly. “Wrong.” She states, as if she just heard some offensively absurd fact. She presses her lips against his cheek, softly, before pulling back to look at him. “You know how to drive, Stan.” She repeats his words to him, firmly. 

Kyle puts the remote down and nods, watching them. When Stan looks over to him, Kyle leans in to kiss his other cheek. “You know how to drive, Stan.” He echoes softly and Stan allows his eyes to flutter shut; quietly agreeing.

“Thanks guys…” he says faintly and reaches out to take both their hands; lacing their fingers tightly.


End file.
